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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · court · bulb · pop · march · safe · charge · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pop — soda
  4. bulb — for light
  5. court — of a king
  6. charge — a price
  7. march — music
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. court — of law
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pop — music
  19. march — the month
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. charge — in control
  23. march — the month
  24. court — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com